What's the cost of a legal Win 10 license?

[marcusarelus]

44 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Ok.  Any thoughts on OEM v Retail license keys?  The cheap licenses you mention must be OEM license keys. 

Buy the cheapest one. 

[wgdanson]

46 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

No problem, but I would really like to avoid all the work of reloading all my programs and settings, but might end up doing a clean install and putting the work in.  At least then I start with a clean slate, I suppose.

And you will only install apps and programs you really use/need. It is so easy to install loads of things you are offered or think you may try. A clean install gets rid of all those, defrags your C drive, so it runs faster. Go on man, have a Heineken and get going!

[Ks45672]

54 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

I am capable of doing what you said.  If you read my posts, I have said I want to upgrade a Windows 7 Pro machine to Windows 10 Pro and also avoid a clean install.

 

I want to know if the method I have thought about will work, and also some opinions on OEM v Retail license keys. 

 

I did that on my desktop and it worked, win 7 Pro license became win 10 license free  of charge 

 

Didn't need to reinstall anything

 

Windows update  did all the work

[KhunHeineken]

3 hours ago, Ks45672 said:

 

I did that on my desktop and it worked, win 7 Pro license became win 10 license free  of charge 

 

Didn't need to reinstall anything

 

Windows update  did all the work

Did you go from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro, or did you have to go Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Home, then from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro?

[KhunHeineken]

4 hours ago, wgdanson said:

And you will only install apps and programs you really use/need. It is so easy to install loads of things you are offered or think you may try. A clean install gets rid of all those, defrags your C drive, so it runs faster. Go on man, have a Heineken and get going!

I agree, but all those privacy settings, personal settings, subscription program license keys.  It's hours and hours of work.

 

I probably will do a clean install and probably give it a go myself.  I suppose the good thing is with a clean install, you really can't lose anything.  You start with a clean slate.    

[KhunHeineken]

4 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Buy the cheapest one. 

I guess you are right.  You can buy several OEM licenses, for the price of one Retail license.  Other than being transferable, do OEM licenses have all the features of a Retail license?

Edited November 21, 2018 by KhunHeineken

[fanjita]

2 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

I guess you are right.  You can buy several OEM licenses, for the price of one Retail license.  Other than being transferable, do OEM licenses have all the features of a Retail license?

Christ on a bike, you're hard work, mate.  There's absolutely no difference in license keys.  

 

Please excuse me while I bash my head against the wall. 

[marcusarelus]

7 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

I guess you are right.  You can buy several OEM licenses, for the price of one Retail license.  Other than being transferable, do OEM licenses have all the features of a Retail license?

I'm not an expert but I've never noticed any difference other than price.  Maybe someone else wants to comment.  I have two computers running Win 10.  One is a Dell that came with Win 7 loaded and CD copies of 7 and 8.  The other is an Acer that I wiped and loaded Win 10 and bought a 2 dollar (0r so) license from an Indian gentleman on Amazon).  I upgraded both computers with SSD and memory and gaming graphics cards so have wiped and re installed a few times. 

Edited November 21, 2018 by marcusarelus

[LongTimeLurker]

On 11/13/2018 at 6:35 AM, AlQaholic said:

Doesn't really matter much, anymore, Microsoft keeps talking about Windows as a "service", just wait a bit, they will start charging a monthly "service" fee.

Already doing it with their Office 365 Suite!!

Edited November 21, 2018 by LongTimeLurker

[Fruit Trader]

46 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Other than being transferable, do OEM licenses have all the features of a Retail license?

Support is different. Call Microsoft with a OEM licence and theres a good chance they will tell you to call the PC manufacturer. 

If you need a nanny to hold your hand buy a retail licence.

 

On the subject of portability, I recently changed the motherboard on my HTPC from Intel to AMD. The $5 Win10 pro OEM licence reactivated after a clean install because Microsoft activation servers accepted my original SSD id as validation.
 

Edited November 21, 2018 by Fruit Trader

[KneeDeep]

6 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

I agree with you KneeDeep.  If I'm going to spend some money, I would rather spend a little more and get the Pro version.  If I don't use all of the Pro features, maybe someone else might require them, either for themselves, or on my behalf.  It can't hurt to have them sitting there for just in case.  Also, I know a clean install is preferable, but that would make a lot of work to reload programs and settings. 

 

I really would like to hold off on Windows Updates as well.  I would like to chose when I install them, not Microsoft.  Delay Windows Updates, and Bit Locker, would be the features I would use in Pro.  The rest isn't relevant to me, but it can't hurt to have it sitting there.

 

I have got most of my information from this guy.  I will cross reference some of his information but he seems to know what he is talking about. The clip is about 1 year old.

 

 

I read I can't go from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro without a clean install, so my plan was to go from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Home, and then from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro.  If this works, I could go from Windows 7 to Windows 10 Pro without a clean install. 

 

A friend can do a clean install for me, so maybe I will just clean out the whole machine and put the work in.  At the moment, my computer is running fast and I have no complaints. 

 

This leads me to another question, what about programs that have a subscription, like my antivirus?  Does anyone know if these are effected when you upgrade?

 

Where did you read that? You misread. Everything here with a tick in it is fully supported; https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/upgrade/windows-10-upgrade-paths

So you can go from Home Premium to 10 Pro, but you'll need a key for activation.

If you want to upgrade without a key.....Have you supplied me with details of your device?

 

[KneeDeep]

1 hour ago, KhunHeineken said:

I agree, but all those privacy settings, personal settings, subscription program license keys.  It's hours and hours of work.

 

I probably will do a clean install and probably give it a go myself.  I suppose the good thing is with a clean install, you really can't lose anything.  You start with a clean slate.    

 

If you are going to do it, do it on a solid state drive. You won't regret it.

Details? Model number or exact Motherboard.

[KneeDeep]

7 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Just to be clear, I don't want a pirate copy.  I don't want to save a few dollars by getting a pirate copy.  I have no problem paying the money. 

 

I have since looked into the difference between an OEM and Retail license key.  If I understand correctly, the OEM license key is only good for that one device, where the Retail license key is transferable to another device, if you have a big hardware failure.  As far as I can tell, this is the only difference. 

 

Like you say, license keys are cheap, but I am thinking they are OEM license keys.  The Retail license keys are not so cheap. 

 

I am still undecided if I really need the key to be transferable.  I'm thinking probably not, so a cheap OEM license key might be ok for me. 

 

If I have got all of this wrong, please let me know. 

 

Maybe someone can post on any benefits of Retail over OEM license keys.

 

 

Why would you need it to be transferable it you've paid just 200 baht for it??

Just buy another. 

Anyway, for the third time, full model details.

 

Best thing overall is to fit an SSD as the primary boot drive and leave your other drive in as storage. That way no need to back up your data as it's all intact on the other drive.

But supply the device's details so we all can see the whole picture.

 

[SpaceKadet]

10 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

 

 

I read I can't go from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro without a clean install, so my plan was to go from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Home, and then from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro.  If this works, I could go from Windows 7 to Windows 10 Pro without a clean install. 

 

Didn't know how to get rid of that ugly mug, but here goes...

 

Well, you've read wrong. There is a lot of BS out there, and a lot of wannabe PC gurus.
So just for you, KhunHeineken (and the fellow TV MS nerds) , I did the following experiment today;

 

Installed Windows 7 Pro from the original MS binaries.
Activated it with a well known and reliable activation hack.
Installed couple of applications.
Run the MS Windows update to verify that MS thinks it's genuine Windows 7.
Run the Windows 10 install from the latest MS binary. Links earlier in this thread.

 

Windows 7 Pro was upgraded to Windows 10 Pro, and activated by MS with a digital license. The apps and setting were preserved.
It seems that someone forgot to tell MS to shut down the license upgrade servers....
You can register the license with your MS account as I stated earlier. You will be able to
retrieve your digital license even if you change your MoBo. See my ants eating capacitors story...
All apps that I installed are still there, as proof of upgrade and not a new install.

 

So what we have learned today:
Even hacked Windows 7 can be upgraded to Windows 10 and activated.
Windows 10 activation is still active for the upgrades. No need to do anything extra.

 

Pictorial proof attached.
You should be aware though, that some application running on Windows 7 might need an upgrade to be able to run on Windows 10.

 

 

[Ks45672]

6 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Did you go from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro, or did you have to go Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Home, then from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro?

I went from 7 Pro in December 2014  to the "insider edition" which turned into 10 pro and has been fine ever since

 

They're is no reason to go to win home any version if you already have a pro license of win 7

 

But if all else fails the win 10 pro keys are only £3.57 and slightly cheaper than that on ebay.de but i bought 2 recently from the uk seller for friends laptops and they're working fine on the latest Windows update 10 pro Version so his keys are good

 

I don't know if they are oem keys pulled from scrap machines or new licences that have never been used yet and i didn't bother to ask

 

The only important thing is if Microsoft activation server says its legit on the machine you want to use it on then your good to go

 

Don't worry about possibility of transferring it to a new machine sometime in the future 

 

They keys are so cheap that if it won't transfer to your next  machine in few years just buy another one for £3.57 and your off to the races... ???? 

 

 

Whoever said you should be using an ssd for drive c (your Windows boot drive) is solid gold advice, your computer will feel turbo charged compared to using a 4200 or 5400rpm spinning mechanical drive as drive C

Samsung evo 850 ssd is excellent for quality, speed,5yr warranty, reliability and software interface (Samsung magician) is easy to optimize w10  for ssd in a couple of clicks 

 

 

 

 

[Ks45672]

7 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

 

 

Dbl post deleted. 

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2018 by Ks45672

[wpcoe]

I have a computer running licensed/activated Windows 10 Home.  If I buy "Windows 10 Professional ESD (Electronic Software Download) - License Only" will it *upgrade* my Home installation (i.e. keep all programs & settings) or is it going to require a fresh installation and I re-install all my programs and tweak all the settings anew?

[KneeDeep]

9 hours ago, wpcoe said:

I have a computer running licensed/activated Windows 10 Home.  If I buy "Windows 10 Professional ESD (Electronic Software Download) - License Only" will it *upgrade* my Home installation (i.e. keep all programs & settings) or is it going to require a fresh installation and I re-install all my programs and tweak all the settings anew?

See post #72. You just run it as an upgrade, keeping your files, settings and applications.